Summary: Hannah Bundschuh was looking to expand her research abilities when she learned about the Digital Media Engagement (DME) internship. She later rose to become one of the department heads (DH) of Research and offers advice for future first-time interns.
When Hannah Bundschuh was looking to join an internship in spring 2020, she originally wasn’t sure what was available. “I was looking for research-based internships at the start of the pandemic to have something to fill my time,” She explained, “All my plans had been canceled and I knew that I couldn’t spend the summer doing nothing. I looked at what the research department did and liked the opportunity to practice researching so I applied.”
As a first-time intern, Hannah was unsure of what working with the Digital Media Engagement (DME) team would be like. “I didn’t really know anything,” Hannah admitted, “I had never had an internship before and did not know what that would be like or what it would mean for it to be virtual. When I joined it was still early in the pandemic and everything being virtual was not the norm yet.” She had limited experience in research, but Hannah chose to join because she wanted to work on her skills.
“Onboarding was pretty easy once I got the hang of it,” she recalled, “Since I was in the first batch of summer interns, it was a little confusing because having us on was so new. Onboarding for me was very self-paced and I did a lot of prep work/research on the proper ways to research and fact-check information.” After her experience over the summer, Hannah decided to reapply for the 2020-2021 internship. “I did not want to stop working at DME,” she explained, “It was such a nice and welcoming work environment so I felt that I should stay on for the whole year. Also, I saw them advertising the possibility of getting leadership positions and that interested me. I guess that worked because I am now a DH [department head]!”
Hannah found that her experience with the DME helped her realize how much she enjoys research and wants to apply to future internships. “It has made me more comfortable in applying for new things. I did not have a lot of experience coming here and I was able to get the hang of it and thrive in my leadership role.”
Hannah encourages potential interns to make the DME internship their first internship. Her advice? “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, we all are here to collaborate and work together so if you have questions, especially in the beginning, ask them!”
Writer: Sarah Concepcion
Editors: Erica MacSweeney and Julia Pack
Graphic Designer: Grace Yang
